On a night where Broadway celebrated its brightest stars and most resonant stories, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s Purpose emerged as the evening’s crowning achievement, winning the 2025 Tony Award for Best Play. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, which first premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, marks a watershed moment — not just for Jacobs-Jenkins, but for the evolution of American theater and the continued rise of Chicago as a cultural incubator.
Set in the heart of Chicago, Purpose explores the intimate and often uncomfortable dynamics of the Jasper family, a well-to-do Black household led by a prominent pastor. The play invites audiences into a home brimming with expectations, secrets, and generational tension. It’s a story about legacy and loss, faith and friction, and the invisible weight that comes with being seen as a model of success — both publicly and privately.
Directed by the legendary Phylicia Rashad, the play’s Steppenwolf debut in 2024 was met with critical acclaim. It featured a commanding ensemble cast that brought humor, heartbreak, and humanity to Jacobs-Jenkins’s layered script. From its earliest performances, Purpose was recognized for doing something rare: holding up a mirror to Black excellence and peeling back the layers to reveal the messiness, vulnerability, and contradictions that often hide beneath polished facades.
‘Purpose’ is timely and timeless
With a narrative that touches on mental health, sexual identity, incarceration, spiritual trauma, and familial responsibility, Purpose is not only timely — it’s timeless. It confronts the complex ways Black families navigate their existence in a world that demands both perfection and authenticity, often at the same time.
The play’s Tony win, announced during the first half of the ceremony hosted by Cynthia Erivo at Radio City Music Hall, marks a historic achievement. Jacobs-Jenkins becomes the first Black playwright to win the Tony for Best Play since August Wilson received the honor in 1987 for Fences. That gap nearly four decades longsp eaks volumes about the state of representation on Broadway and makes Purpose’s win all the more significant.
Broadway has long been criticized for its lack of diversity in storytelling and leadership. But with this victory, there’s hope that the tide is continuing to turn. Jacobs-Jenkins, already a celebrated figure for plays such as An Octoroon and Gloria, has now solidified his place in the canon of American theater. His work challenges form, flips expectations, and refuses to make his characters or his audience comfortable.
Born in Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre
What makes Purpose particularly special is its origin story. Unlike many Broadway-bound productions that emerge from New York workshops or international stages, Purpose was born in Chicago at a theater known for taking risks and nurturing new voices. Steppenwolf Theatre has consistently served as a launching pad for bold and innovative storytelling, and this production continues that legacy in full force.
The play’s Chicago roots are essential. Chicago is a city known for its complexity, its resilience, and its unapologetically Black cultural expression. The Jasper family may be fictional, but their struggles feel familiar to anyone raised in, shaped by, or connected to Chicago’s layered social and spiritual landscape.
An undeniable buzz
By the time Purpose made its Broadway debut, the buzz was undeniable. Critics praised its sharp writing and raw performances, while audiences were drawn to its depth and relatability. Now, with a Pulitzer and a Tony in hand, Purpose stands as one of the most impactful American plays of the decade.
More than just a win for its playwright, cast, or creative team, this moment is a win for the theater community in Chicago, for Black storytelling on the main stage, and for anyone who’s ever longed to see their complex truths reflected honestly in the arts.
As Jacobs-Jenkins took the stage to accept the award, the message was clear: the future of American theater isn’t just on Broadway — it’s in the cities, families, and communities where stories like Purpose are lived every day.
